Primary menu

Secondary menu

Tag Archives: Modcloth IRL

Happy Sunday Hemsters! We’ve got something very special for you today. Our lovely friend Holly is one lucky lady and lives in super cool Austin, Texas. She’s forever getting up to great stuff (think SXSW, advanced screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Austin City Limits, woah!), and we are forever jealous. When we heard that one of our favourite online stores, Modcloth, was going on tour and starting in Holly’s hometown, she very kindly offered to write a guest post all about #ModClothIRL. Boy, has she done us proud! Enjoy!

V&J

……………………………………………………………………………………………

As much as I wanted to move to Bristol when visiting Victoria and Jo last September for Victoria’s wedding, I have to admit that my hometown of Austin, Texas is a pretty cool place. Case in point: Austin is the first stop on Modcloth’s IRL Tour this summer. Till the end of May you can book an appointment to meet with a ModStylist or just drop in to browse.

I am a huge ModCloth fanatic and shamelessly own the majority of their cat themed clothing pieces. I love browsing their site for fun, unusual prints and always receive lots of compliments when wearing their items. As with most internet clothes shopping, the fit can be hit or miss, which is why I always try to read reviews before purchasing. But, not everything has multiple reviews, particularly new items, so it was great to be able to try on their new arrivals and items I wouldn’t typically purchase, just to see how they might look on me.

On the grand opening day, I headed to the shop immediately after work in order to see what the selection was like and eye pieces that I wanted to try on at my appointment with a ModStylist two days later. I ran in exclaiming “Is it true?! It is really here?!!” and had a giggle with an employee while proclaiming my love of all things ModCloth. When I went in for my appointment the following Monday, that same employee ended up being the one to help me out. Lara sat me down for a chat about how I see my personal style and what I was looking for. I told her that I love conversation-starting prints and classic cuts. If you have never been measured, you can have that done there too, but I have ordered enough items to know that I am generally a large. Next, we walked around the shop together and I pointed out items I definitely wanted to try on, like the Where My Picnic People? dress, and Lara suggested other pieces that she thought would work for me.

Each article of clothing only had 2 sizes on display, so Lara headed to the back to get my size and put together a dressing room for me. Normally when I go shopping I just pick out items that I am seriously considering buying to try on and often forget to consider how a skirt or top might work within my wardrobe as a whole, so sometimes I end up with pieces that I don’t have much to wear them with. One benefit of shopping with the ModStylist is that Lara put together complete outfits for me to try on together and encouraged me to step a little outside my comfort zone and try on things I wouldn’t normally pick up for myself.

The not-quite-perfect

Since I’m really into cycling lately, I knew I wanted to try the Where My Picnic People dress first. I was apprehensive about the open midriff, but I was trying to be optimistic because I love, love, love the print! While the top portion fit great, the skirt was too loose and I would be too self-conscious to have my stomach showing while out and about, so unfortunately it was a no-go for me at this time. Next, I tried on the Just This Sway skirt (which is also available in 4 other colors) and Pros and Convertibles top. The skirt was awesome because it has some elastic in the waist to help ensure a good fit and has pockets on the side – always a plus! Although the top was cute, it was too small in the chest for me and I had gapping between buttons.

I told Lara that I am often drawn to the color blue, so she grabbed the Fittingly Serendipitous dress for me to try and I love the shape and colors. This time the dress was just a little too big in the chest and even after trying to criss-cross the straps since they are convertible, it wasn’t perfect enough for me to purchase that day, but if you’re a gal who often finds that things are too snug in the chest, this would be a good option for you to try! Lastly, I tried on the Jive Got a Feeling capri pants with the Stand Your Fairground and Steadfast Sojourn tops and felt very rockabilly. Although Lara and other employees thought I looked good, I just wasn’t feeling them.

The big winners

So, I did end up splurging on three items that I tried on during my appointment! Although I was disappointed about how I looked in the bike print dress, I loved the Great Minds Think of Bikes top, which is flowy and lightweight – perfect for the scorching summer days that will soon be upon us. I dressed it up for work with a high-waisted skirt and heels. I also foresee myself wearing it frequently on bike rides with some simple jean shorts and Toms, which is my standard bike outfit in the summer. Also, as soon as I put on the Style Study Skirt in Marine Bio, I knew I would have to have it. Jellyfish, octopi, coral and fishies? What’s not to love?! The length is enough to make it work appropriate, so I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of it. I ended up taking it on a work trip to Florida this and paired it with the Freelance Spirit top in Sailboats to create an above-the-sea/below-the-sea combination.

Lastly, eggplant believe how much I fell head over heels for the It’s an Inspired Taste dress. Not to sound conceited, but I think I looked radishing. (Come on, how could I not use some corny puns on She & Hem!) And what are veggies great with? Butter. Lots of butter. So, I thought this mural was the perfect backdrop to show off the dress.

ModCloth will be adding new products throughout the 6 weeks that they are in Austin, so I’m sure I’ll be back! For those of you in central Texas, you can find the shop at 249 W. 2nd St. in Austin until May 30th. For those of you in the UK and elsewhere, ModCloth does offer international shipping with a 60 day return window and free international shipping for orders over $150!